(CHICAGO, 6/15/11) - The Chicago Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today said Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) false allegations and his history of anti-Muslim comments have produced broad-based pushback against his biased agenda and generated significant questions about the veracity of his hearings, such as the one held today on Islam in U.S. prisons.

In a statement released after King's hearing today, CAIR-Chicago said:

"No official from the Federal Bureau of Prisons testified today to legitimize King's agenda-driven hearing. This absence is another reason interest in King's trials of the American Muslim community has diminished after his first hearing.

"Rep. King's first hearing was widely criticized. More than 250 organizations signed letters to King expressing concern. With this second hearing, we find American's cannot count on King as a serious leader in discussion on domestic security. There is no room for King's broad-brush indictments of an entire religious minority."

The only witness who has conducted extensive academic research on the issue was Professor Bert Useem of Purdue University, whose research was funded by institutions affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. "My core argument, then, is that U.S. prisons are not systematically generating a terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland," he said.

CAIR-Chicago is a chapter of America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.